Philippine Volcanoes 2nd only to Japan in Asian 7s

The Philippine Volcanoes continued their remarkable run in the international arena with a silver medal finish in the Asian Men’s Rugby 7s Championships Sunday at the Lika Stadium in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia.

Considered long shots because of their No. 7 ranking, the Volcanoes pulled off a surprise when they reached the final opposite Japan, after stunning China in the last four and besting Malaysia, Kazakhstan and United Arab Emirates in the earlier rounds.

Playing in their first Cup final in the Asian Rugby League, the Volcanoes put up a gallant stand, before losing to Asian No. 1 Japan, 46-0.

Still, the second-place finish was an impressive feat for the Volcanoes, who have gradually climbed the Asian rugby ladder in recent years under coach Matt Cullen.

“The Volcanoes have been on the cusp of greatness for the past two years and this tournament has proven that the Philippines can compete with the best teams in Asia,” said the Australian mentor, whose squad is looking forward to playing in the prestigious Hong Kong 7s in March. “This is only the beginning.”

The Filipinos’ biggest victory in Malaysia came against China, which they nipped in sudden death thanks to a try from the fleet-footed Harry Morris.

Playing against a team it had never beaten in four previous matches, the Volcanoes leaned on Luke Matthews and Chris Hitch who scored a try each to force a 14-all draw at fulltime, setting the stage for the thrilling finish.

The Volcanoes overwhelmed Malaysia, 28-14.

The Volcanoes had sent shockwaves with a stunning 19-14 upset of South Korea in the Shanghai 7s early this month, a victory that boosted them to their current Asian ranking.